Astros call up Wallace for his second stint in majors this season

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After biding his time in Class AAA since June and more mysteriously so since the Carlos Lee trade, Brett Wallace has been freed.

Wallace will join the Astros for Monday’s series opener in Milwaukee to begin his second big league stint of the year.

His first lasted 11 games while Lee was on the disabled list, and Wallace hit .333 with a .429 on-base percentage and a .583 slugging percentage.

He was an obvious candidate to take over at first base once Lee was traded, but the Astros instead went with a platoon of Scott Moore and Matt Downs as they awaited the trade deadline. With two trading days left and third baseman Chris Johnson gone, it was time to end the wait.

Wallace will play some third base and first base with Moore and Downs also able to play either of those. But things got a little more complicated with Brian Bixler being optioned to Class AAA to make room on the roster.

The move leaves the Astros with no backup shortstop behind Marwin Gonzalez.

Wallace, who has become more nimble with some weight loss but was never known for his defense, played shortstop for nine games at Oklahoma City. It was out of need with Gonzalez up in the majors off his rehab assignment and Angel Sanchez hurt, but it gave Brad Mills enough confidence to mention Wallace as a possibility to back up the position.

Rodriguez fine on third straight dayOne of the biggest plays of the game almost never happened as Brad Mills had said before the game that Fernando Rodriguez would be unavailable because of overuse.

However, Rodriguez said he told pitching coach Doug Brocail that he would be fine for a third consecutive day, and Mills was confident enough to send him out as the first man from the bullpen. Rodriguez induced a popout from pinch-hitter Andrew McCutchen to strand the bases loaded and preserve a three-run lead in the sixth.